June 10th, 2022 by WCBC Radio
Faced with a July 1st deadline, the Allegany County Board of Commissioners voted 2-1 Thursday to approve a resolution establishing a local police accountability board. Commissioners President Jake Shade was the dissenting vote, blasting the state for mandating the county to create a citizen-led police accountability boards before the end of June. The boards are tasked to work with local government to improve policing and review complaints of police misconduct filed by members of the public. At this time the state has not yet completed the matrix that will be used in establishing any disciplinary measures. Shade called this an anti law enforcement measure being forced upon the county governments…
Tifani Fisher, president of the Allegany County NAACP branch, offered a different take…
Commissioners Creade Brodie Jr and David Caporale, although agreeing with many of Shade’s points, noted that it is a mandate and the county has no choice but to act…
The commissioners did approve the board and appointed five members: Donnie Knotts; Jane Ann McAlpine; Bishop Kenneth Watkins; Kristan Carter; and Bernie Zlomek. A separate administrative charging committee was also approved with Knotts; James Eberly and Jeremy Bender appointed.
